


The Philosophy of Punch-Clock Villainy: Four Examples

by arthur_177



Category: Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Marvel (Comics), Marvel Avengers Movies Universe
Genre: Gen, Non-canon Character Death, Violence, avengers kinkmeme, questionable morality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-03
Updated: 2012-11-03
Packaged: 2017-11-17 16:57:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/553814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arthur_177/pseuds/arthur_177
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In response to a kinkmeme prompt: Four instances in which a villain showed some degree of decency.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Philosophy of Punch-Clock Villainy: Four Examples

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the avengers kinkmeme prompt http://avengerkink.livejournal.com/11264.html?thread=26145024#t26145024 which asked for a Marvel Villain showing decency/a human side. I'm new to comics, so my characterisations may be a bit off; furthermore, depending on how you define 'decency', some of the acts are still morally questionable. I'm also not entirely sure how to tag this, so apologies for that as well. Warnings for a lot of violence.

**1\. Bullseye**

The boy goes down with a terrified cry, a piece of scrap metal embedded in his throat. He twitches for a while, coughing, pleading, bleeding. Not a neat kill, but a satisfying one. He ignores the kid and kneels next to the bucket. 

The water is ice-cold and soaks through his gloves as he carefully pulls out the tiny tortoiseshell kitten, dripping wet and meowing pitifully. He cradles it to his chest, the poor thing, and kicks the now dead kid to his front so he can rip off his hoodie more easily. The kitten looks as if it was freezing and scared out of its mind, and really, who can blame it. He wraps it in the hoodie and pets it until it stops whining and starts to purr. 

He decides to name it Dart. They can be a team, Bullseye and Dart; he's never really wanted a sidekick, but he kinda likes the idea. He'll have to rob a cornerstore on the way back to pick up some cat essentials, but it's not as if he had much else planned for the day. 

Once he's toweled Dart dry, he throws the soaked hoodie back at the dead kid. Seriously, what kind of heartless, insane bastard tries to drown a kitten? He shakes his head and walks away, Dart a fleck of colour against his black and white costume. 

 

**2\. The Hood**

The open portal is a sight to behold, and the things that are coming through are quite magnificent. Even with the current lineup of Gods, geniuses and supersoldiers, the Avengers and SHIELD hardly stand a chance. He shoots an agent at point-blank range with one hand and takes out three others with a spell. SHIELD is behaving as anticipated, and things are falling into place nicely. Now he just has to trick Strange into fighting him, which shouldn't be much of a challenge, and the final piece will be in place for the grand surprise finale. 

The battle, if that's what it can be called, has moved further away from the portals, and he walks through the devastation - something comforting about walking even if you can fly - in the direction of the heroes' magnificent last stand. He's summoned some frightful things in his time, but this is something else, and he's not above admitting that the odd torn-off limb and half-burned bodies make him uneasy. Sure, he's always been a criminal, sure, he's done a lot of not particularly nice things to people, and it's not as if he didn't kill four agents less than five minutes ago. But he wouldn't consider himself cruel, or even particularly evil. He likes power, he likes money, and he doesn't care that much about morals and laws constricting his actions. The way he sees it, he's not that much different from some politicians or CEOs, except perhaps for the fact that he wears a magical cloak rather than a suit, and rather than a keen sense for business it's a demon who possesses him now and then. Then again, you never know with some politicians. He's become less squeamish about killing rather than only stealing over time, particularly now that he has access to henchmen from different dimensions, but he prefers clean shots and quick spells. Torn-off limbs and charred bodies, that's not really his sort of thing. He's not one of the good guys, but he's not evil. But the indulgence in philosophy can wait for later, he's got a wizard to trick into fighting. 

He is in the process of stepping over a body, taking care not to get blood and bits of burnt flesh all over his boots, when a wet coughing makes him pause. When he looks down, the body turns out to be alive, if only barely. The SHIELD agent looks at him, pain written over his face, and he takes in the torn SHIELD uniform, the bit of bone visible where a part of his arm has been eaten away, the bare flesh on his chest where the skin has been burnt badly, the cauterized wound across where his legs used to be. “Please”, the agent whispers, hoarsely. 

He considers walking away. He considers shooting the agent in the arm that is least wounded. He considers a 'This is why SHIELD should not deem itself capable of fighting powers such as the ones I wield' speech. 

But only very briefly. He's not cruel. He's not evil. 

He points his gun at the agent's forehead, and the agent tries to smile through the pain and softly thanks him. He pulls the trigger and waits until the agent goes still before he walks away. 

He still has a wizard to fight and a grand finale to orchestrate. 

 

**3\. Toad**

He's running late, and that's not good. Magneto doesn't like that, and being the reason why Magneto is unhappy is always, always bad. He's distracted and in a hurry, so he doesn't see the man trying to come round the corner at the same time as himself. The man who is built like a football quarterback drops the grocery bag he was carrying, and for a moment Toad panics, because this is going to get messy, the city's on high alert against the Brotherhood and he just gave a couple of cops the slip, if the man shouts for help he'll have three people to fight, and he's running late as it is and wasn't supposed to be noticed by anyone. He wonders if he can kill him quickly enough without drawing too much attention.

And then, instead of shouting, or attacking, or saying one of those things he's heard all his life, like 'hey, what sort of freak are you?' or 'you're one of them dirty mutants! Let me show you what I think about 'mutant rights'', the man says 'Sorry, mate, didn't see you there – literally. Should teach me to walk around corners quickly. You ok?' He swipes the floor with the white stick Toad didn't notice, and ah, right, guy's blind, guy can't see that he's a freak who looks more like a frog than a person. “Yeah.. yeah, sorry, likewise. Here, let me get that for you.” He picks up the grocery bag and hands it to the man, careful not to touch his hands – guy may be blind, but he can still see with his hands, and Toad doesn't exactly have the skin of a moisturizer commercial. 

The man smiles. “Thanks, man. And thanks for not making a fuss – the amount of times I've been told to stay the fuck away from the streets if I couldn't watch where I was going. Some people are a disgrace, really. I despair about humanity sometimes.”

“I know the feeling”, Toad says, and the guy gives him another commiserating but genuine smile before they continue to hurry in different directions.

He doesn't remember the last time anyone who wasn't a mutant has smiled at him. 

 

**4\. Loki**

The archer is coughing blood, bow and bones broken, but he still sneers up at him in his defeat. “Should have put an arrow through your eye when I got the chance”, Barton chokes out. 

Victory is sweet, and he is feeling magnanimous enough to deign that with a reply. “Yes. You should have. But you didn't, and now here we are, and I have obtained the victory you stole from me last time.”

“Are you done gloating? I'm kinda busy dying here”, Barton says, and his face is a grimace of pain and anger. He smiles in amusement. On the brink of death, and yet keen to make witty comments. For all their shortcomings, mortals prove entertaining sometimes. 

For all his shortcomings, Barton still has heart. And though he never pledged his allegiance willingly, never knelt as he rightfully should have out of his own heartfelt loyalty, Barton was his for a while, and obtained him the metal for the portal and took down the flying fortress for him. 

The others, perhaps even his dear brother with his willingness to forgive and fall for the same tricks over and over, deem him incapable of any notion of this honour Asgard so treasures because of what he is. And perhaps they are right, because what is honour but an impediment, an excuse to stand between him and what is rightfully his. But he would have been a benevolent king, and he would have rewarded those who were loyal. That much honour he has. 

Barton never was his, but Barton has heart, and he is entertaining. And oh, the confliction it would bring upon his brother and his beloved Avengers, if he, the great foe, bestowed an act of mercy upon one of their own. 

He smiles at Barton. “You still have heart, Agent Barton. I admire that, as foolish as it is. But I never thanked you for your help in taking down SHIELD last time. Let me reward you for your loyalty.” 

Before Barton can respond to that, he places his hand on the archer's chest, and Barton screams before he loses consciousness. His wounds are healed, his breathing is steady; only his bow remains broken. 

Loki smiles. Never let it be said that he does not reward those who serve him.


End file.
